


Never Too Late

by Chelsea Frew (chelseafrew)



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Car Accidents, Coma, Head Injury, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-05
Updated: 2014-07-05
Packaged: 2018-02-07 14:24:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1902378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chelseafrew/pseuds/Chelsea%20Frew
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a serious car accident, Harry struggles to come back to himself. And to Louis.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Too Late

**Author's Note:**

> My deepest thanks to C, who not only listened to me talk endlessly about all my ideas for this assignment, but also beta'd it for me while still in the midst of writing hers. She rocks. Any errors left are mine. Thanks, too, to catsandmaps for the wonderful prompts. There were so many good ones to choose from! I hope I did the one I picked justice.

The first thing he was aware of was the beeping. There was beeping everywhere. Next, he realised his nose was being assaulted by an antiseptic smell. Where the hell was he?

Louis hauled in a deep breath and slowly blinked open his eyes. The light that greeted him was too bright, and he squeezed his eyes shut against it almost immediately. After a moment he risked it once more, turning his head just a little to avoid the light he now knew was directly above him.

His head ached, his left wrist pulsed with pain, and his chest felt tight, but he pushed all that aside to take in his surroundings. White walls, men and women in white lab coats, a man moaning in pain on the stretcher beside him…. Louis must be in the A&E.

Everything which had led to this moment came rushing back in an instant. He and Harry had packed Louis' Audi to head up to Cheshire for a mini-break in between tour and album duties. They had stopped for lunch in a secluded booth at their favorite local pub. They had gassed up the car and headed out of London with an aim to be at Harry's mum's by tea time.

Harry had taken off his seatbelt to turn around and grab his iPad from the bag he'd slung into the back seat. There had been a sudden traffic jam before they'd even made it out of the city limits. Harry had just been turning back around when the SUV had hit them from behind. Louis had been ploughed into the car ahead of them. Louis' airbag had gone off; Harry's had not. The last thing Louis remembered was Harry's head slamming into the windscreen.

Louis shot up off the gurney he lay on and shouted, "Harry!"

A hand on his shoulder pressed him back into onto the gurney. "Calm down. Calm down," a soothing voice urged.

"But my friend…," Louis protested adamantly.

"Your friend is being tended to, just as you need to be," the voice countered firmly. "Lie back down."

Louis made one more weak effort to rise off the examining table, but when the hand moved to his chest and pushed him back, he gave up.

"Okay, then," the soothing voice went on. "My name is Dr. Walker. What's your name?"

Hauling in a deep breath, he answered, "Louis. Louis Tomlinson. My friend, Harry…. Where is he?"

"We can talk all about Harry when I'm done examining you," Dr. Walker told him.

"Okay," Louis relented.

The doctor thoroughly checked him over, listening to his heart, pressing various areas to make sure he didn't have internal injuries, making sure his eyes and ears were working the way they should, testing his blood pressure, all the while asking probing questions about what Louis remembered about the accident.

When he was done, the doctor said, "You have some bruising there on your chest from the airbag, and I suspect you sprained your wrist. Your headache is probably due to the force of the impact and stress.

"I'd like to take an x-ray of your wrist, but the other injuries just need time to heal," Dr. Walker concluded. He turned to call over a nurse. "He needs a wrist x-ray and some paracetemol. For the headache," he informed Louis.

"Yes, Doctor," the nurse acknowledged.

"Now will you tell me about Harry?" Louis requested.

The doctor sighed. "He was brought it with a severe head injury. He must have hit his head on the windscreen."

"He didn't have his seatbelt on," Louis confirmed.

"He's in surgery now to relieve some pressure in his skull."

Louis sucked in a gasp. That sounded worse than just about anything this side of death.

Dr. Walker rested a hand on Louis' forearm. "He's in good hands. Call whoever you need to, and they can come join you. Once you've had your x-ray, you can go to the waiting room in the surgical wing, and someone will let you know how he's doing."

Louis nodded. "Thank you."

The doctor strode off to tend to another patient, and the nurse, whose nametag read "Jessica," said, "I'll give you five minutes for your phone calls, then we're going to x-ray that wrist."

Louis placed calls to Harry's mother--who cried and said was heading down to London immediately; his own mother--who also wanted to come, but Louis told her she didn't need to; and Liam--who would call Niall and Zayn and then come right to the hospital to wait with Louis. Once he was done, Jessica helped him into a wheelchair and sped him away to x-ray.

The x-ray showed that, just as Dr. Walker had predicted, his wrist was just badly sprained. Jessica wrapped it tightly in a bandage for him, then had him sign the papers he needed to be released from care. Once all that was sorted, she directed him to the surgical waiting room.

By the time he arrived at his destination, Liam, Niall, and Zayn were already there, and they enveloped him in a group hug, nearly squeezing the breath from him.

"Are you okay?" Niall asked Louis as they pulled apart.

Louis nodded. "I'm fine. I sprained my wrist and bruised my chest. Nothing big."

"Have you heard anything more about Harry?" Liam wanted to know.

This time, Louis shook his head. "Nothing. The nurse said she'd let his surgeon know we're here waiting so they'll come and talk to us when they're done."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Zayn said. "Harry's a tough kid."

"I hope you're right, Zayn," Louis returned. Because the alternative was too painful to imagine.

* * *

It was almost two hours before anyone came to talk to them. By that time, Anne was just an hour away--she had been calling for updates--and Louis was nearly out of his mind with worry. Only Zayn, Liam, and Niall's calming presences were holding him together. Niall, in particular, was a huge help, as he could babble on about a million nonsensical topics, keeping Louis constantly preoccupied.

Niall was in the middle of telling a story about a prank he and his mates had pulled on a teacher his last year of school when a doctor in surgical scrubs entered the room asking for the family and friends of Harry Styles.

Louis was up like a shot. "I'm Louis, his roommate and bandmate. We're all his bandmates." He gestured to the boys who had got up to surround him.

"I'm Dr. Nicholas," the doctor introduced himself. "Has his family been notified?"

"His mum's on the way, but I have her permission to get information."

The doctor hesitated for a second, then nodded and began, "Mr. Styles hit his head against the windscreen of the car upon impact, and coded once on the way to hospital."

"Coded?" Niall inquired, his voice set at a high pitch. "He died?"

"Well, technically, yes, but the paramedics were able to get him back," Dr. Nicholas assured him. "By the time he arrived, there was a great deal of swelling in his brain, and we rushed him right into surgery to relieve the pressure."

"Is he okay?" Liam wanted to know. Louis thanked God his bandmates were there, as he couldn't even bring himself to speak he was so worried about Harry.

"We managed to relieve the pressure, but he's in a coma," the doctor informed them.

"A coma?" Niall repeated as a stone settled in the pit of Louis' stomach.

"This is common with patients who have suffered this kind of injury," Dr. Nicholas said. "It can be the body's way of working on nothing but healing."

"Will he…?" Louis started, stopped by a sob. He pulled in a deep breath and composed himself to try again. "Will he wake up?"

"I can't say right now," the doctor answered honestly. "But we have every reason to be hopeful. He's young, he's strong. He has no other injuries beyond some bumps and bruises."

"If he does wake up, will there be any permanent damage?" Liam asked the question that was prominent in Louis' mind, too.

Dr. Nicholas shrugged. "It's hard to tell. There often is with these kinds of injury, but we can't know anything until he wakes up."

"Can we see him?" Louis requested.

"They're getting him settled in the critical care unit right now. As soon as that's done, you can visit him one at a time. I'll have a nurse come to fetch you when he's ready," the doctor promised.

The boys had no choice but to nod as the doctor turned around to head back to his patients.

Liam guided Louis to a chair, where Louis immediately dropped his head in between his knees to keep from passing out. He felt two hands on his back, but he wasn't aware of much more beyond struggling to breathe.

Anne arrived while Louis was still trying to compose himself. As soon as he heard her voice, he hurtled out of his seat and into her arms. She smoothed the hair on the back of his head soothingly, and whispered, "It's okay. You're okay."

When he was calmer, he extricated himself from her grasp and said, "I'm sorry."

Anne shook her head. "You don't need to apologise." She paused for a breath, then asked, "How is he?"

Liam offered her the nutshell version of what Dr. Nicholas had told them. Almost as soon as he was done, a nurse appeared to usher them to Harry's room.

She introduced herself as "Evelyn," and led them down the hall and up a lift one floor. Finally, they arrived in the critical care unit, and Evelyn showed them to a room at the end of the unit.

Before she let them go in, she warned them, "Harry is hooked up to a lot of machines. It may look a little scary, but they're there to help him. His head is bandaged because of the surgery and they had to shave some of his hair off to get to the injured area. The doctor explained that he's in a coma?"

They all nodded.

"Talk to him anyway," she advised. "No one knows what coma patients can and can't hear, and I happen to believe that there's healing power in being surrounded by people who love you. Any questions?"

They all shook their heads this time.

"I'll let you all go in to start with, but then only one or two of you can stay longer term," Evelyn said.

"Thanks," Zayn returned on behalf of all of them.

Evelyn opened the door, and they filed in the room one at a time.

Harry lay on a bed centered on the long wall of the room. Anne, Zayn, and Niall lined up on one side of the bed--Anne closest to his head--while Louis and Liam stood on the other side, with Louis directly opposite Anne.

Harry lay pale and impossibly still on the bed. Evelyn had not been lying, Harry was hooked up to several machines, and his head was swathed in bright white bandages. He looked like he'd been through hell--and might even still be there. Louis could not even believe this was happening.

Anne immediately bent over to press a kiss to Harry's cheek. "We're here, baby. Your boys and me. Your dad and Gemma will be here soon, too. We all love you." She looked up at Louis, tears in her eyes.

Louis tried to shoot her a supportive smile, but he wasn't entirely sure he was successful. He reached down to put a hand on Harry's bicep. "Hi, Haz. The lads and I are all here." He wasn't sure what else to say, but he squeezed Harry's upper arm to physically assure his friend of his presence.

"You need to wake up soon, Hazza, show these doctors what you're made of," Liam ordered, patting Harry's forearm.

"We love you, man," Niall threw in, while Zayn, appearing shell-shocked by the whole scene, added, "Yeah."

Dr. Nicholas came into the room at this moment. "Hi everyone." He met Anne's gaze. "You must be Harry's mother."

Anne nodded. "How's my boy?"

"Well, as I told his friends, the surgery successfully relieved the pressure in his brain, but he has lapsed into a coma. It's not medically induced, so it's just a waiting game. Hopefully when Harry's system has healed itself enough, he'll wake up. When he does, we'll be able to assess any damage the accident may have caused."

"What kind of damage could there be?" Anne wanted to know.

"There are a host of things which could be the result of this kind of injury, but he could just as easily wake up and have suffered no lasting injury," Dr. Nicholas explained.

"Things like what?" Anne persisted.

"Well, given the placement of the head injury, his sight could be affected, his motor control, his speech, or…nothing. Try to stay positive," the doctor urged. "He needs you to stay positive."

Anne nodded her understanding, though she pursed her lips against a sob.

"Since this is the critical care unit, we can have one or two people in here at a time, no more," Dr. Nicholas went on. "Since he is in such a delicate state, we won't adhere to visiting hours, but we do have to adhere to the rule about the number of visitors. Okay?"

All five of them nodded.

"So, at least three of you have to say your goodbyes and come back later."

"Thank you, Doctor," Anne said.

Dr, Nicholas swiveled on his heel and left the room.

"You need to rest, Lou," Liam instantly declared.

Louis opened his mouth to protest, but Anne cut him off. "Honey, you were in the crash, too. You need to get yourself some food and some rest. Once you do, you can come back and sit here as long as you want."

"I'll stay here with Anne until Gemma and Des get here," Liam offered. Anne had told them that Robin, Harry's step-father, had unfortunately had to stay behind in Cheshire because of business, but would come the minute that was concluded.

"And we'll call you the minute anything happens," Anne promised.

Louis considered arguing, but his body was screaming at him. All the hours of waiting in the uncomfortable hospital chairs combined with the aftereffects of the accident had made him ache. He sighed. "Okay."

Niall walked around to stand behind Louis and put his arms on Louis' upper arms. "Zayn and I will go with you."

Louis nodded. Leaning over the bed, he placed his mouth by Harry's ear and whispered. "I'll be back, Haz. Miss you already, so don't stay asleep too long."

When he returned to an upright position, he looked straight at Anne. "Call me any time about any change."

"I promise, Louis," she told him. "You get a good night's sleep and then come back to help me convince H to wake up."

"Okay." He allowed Zayn and Niall to guide him from the room, down the hall, to the lift, and down to Niall's car.

Louis didn't say a word the entire drive back to his flat--his and Harry's flat. He was afraid if he did, he would start to cry and never stop.

Walking into the flat and being suddenly surrounded by Harry's things was almost too much. It was only Zayn walking right at his side that kept him from collapsing to the floor in a heap.

"I'll call in some pizza," Niall announced, already pulling out his mobile.

"You want a shower?" Zayn asked Louis. "Some comfy clothes?"

Louis gave him a small nod, then let Zayn guide him to the washroom.

"You shower," Zayn said. "I'll find you some trackies."

Louis managed another nod. Zayn let go slowly, and Louis braced himself against the wall, stripping, offhandedly hoping Harry would be home soon to yell at him for just leaving his clothes there on the washroom floor.

He made the shower as hot as he could and tried to wash away the horrendous day. When he emerged in a mist of steam, he found a towel sitting atop a fresh set of trackies and his dirty clothes gone. Zayn must have gotten them to the hamper. He would be Harry's favourite.

Louis dried off and changed, then went back to the living room where Niall and Zayn sat on the sofa, talking in hushed whispers.

As he padded into the room, Niall turned to meet his gaze. "Pizza's going to be here soon. Come cuddle?"

Louis gratefully slotted himself between his two friends, allowing them to comfort him. They didn't even try to talk. They just let him be, which was good, because all he could think about was Harry and what he would do if Harry didn't wake up.

Once the pizza came, Louis really couldn't have said he was hungry, but he forced down one piece. Then, finally, he was able to rest, his head on Niall's lap, his feet on Zayn's.

"Thanks for being here," he whispered into the silence. Niall patted his shoulder and Zayn rubbed his feet, and shortly thereafter, he fell asleep. It was a day he was more than happy to see the back side of.

* * *

When Louis awoke the next morning, a hazy sun was shining through the windows directly onto the sofa where he was curled up, his head on a pillow, a blanket covering him. Zayn and Niall had clearly each retreated to one of the bedrooms, leaving him sleeping where he was.

As he stretched and sat up, painful soreness raged through him. He ached all over, but particularly in his chest and his back. He was pretty sure he would be feeling the effects of the accident for quite some time, and not just physically.

He pulled his mobile from his pocket, and it told him it was just past seven a.m. He had no missed calls, which meant there was no change in Harry's condition. He was glad it wasn't worse, but utterly sad it wasn't better. He needed to get back to the hospital. He needed to urge Harry to wake up.

Louis walked softly into his room, assuming that one of the lads had probably slept in there. The blond hair sticking out from under the duvet told him he was right. Zayn must have taken Harry's bed. Louis quietly gathered the first clean clothes he could find in the mess on the floor, and then showered, shaved, and dressed.

By the time he got to the kitchen, Liam was there, toasting bread and getting out cereal and milk, knowing cereal was a major comfort food for Louis.

"Morning, Li," Louis greeted him. "When did you get here?"

"Just a few minutes ago. Used the key. Hope that was okay."

"Just fine," Louis said, sitting down at the breakfast bar. "Des and Gemma get to the hospital okay?"

Liam nodded, then turned to pull out some bowls from the cupboard. "About an hour after you guys left. Gemma had been in Cheshire visiting friends, and she and Des came down together. Robin's due around noon."

"Good. Harry needs as much support as he can get." He took the bowl Liam handed him.

"Yeah."

"There was no change before you left?"

"No. Nothing," Liam reported. He went on to ask, "Are Niall and Zayn awake?"

"I am," Niall answered for himself, walking into the kitchen rubbing at his eyes.

Liam put a bowl at an empty spot on the bar. "Come eat. Once everyone's up and everyone's eaten, we can get back to Harry."

Niall sat down next to Louis, and the pair of them poured bowls of cereal and began to eat, while Liam wondered aloud, "Where did Zayn sleep?"

"In Harry's room," Niall replied around a mouthful of cereal.

"I'll go wake him up. You guys finish eating."

Before another half an hour had passed, all four boys were ready to go. They piled into Liam's car and drove back to the hospital.

When they arrived back to the critical care ward, Anne and Des were in the room with Harry, and Gemma was loitering in the hall with a cup of coffee. When she spotted Louis, she threw back the cup and drained it before wrapping Louis in a hug. He squeezed her back tightly.

"I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered in his ear.

When they pulled apart, Louis told her, "Thank you. How is Harry doing?"

Gemma shook her head. "No better." Then she shrugged. "No worse, though, so I guess that's good."

"How are you holding up?" Liam asked her, coming around to wrap his arm around her shoulder.

She shrugged again. "I don't know. It's really hard to see him like this. Mum's a wreck, so I'm trying not to be. Dad is trying to be stoic, but I know he's a mess, too."

"He's going to get through this," Louis tried to assure her. It was something he needed to believe, too. "He has to."

Gemma pursed her lips and nodded. "I'll force Mum and Dad down to the café so you guys can have some time with Harry."

Louis paced the floor in front of Harry's room while Niall and Zayn went in search of coffee. Liam simply leaned against a wall to check his mobile.

It wasn't very long before Anne and Des emerged from the room, Gemma right behind them. Anne hugged Louis and Liam both, and Des shook each boy's hand before Gemma said, "We're going down to try to eat something. I think you guys can get away with all four of you being in there."

Louis nodded, then wasted no time pushing the door open and going in to where Harry lay in exactly the same position and in exactly the same state as when Louis had left about twelve hours earlier.

Louis' heart ached as he moved to Harry's side. His young friend was so terribly pale, and he remained so very still. Harry was usually a complete ball of energy, so it was incredibly difficult to see him not moving at all.

Louis was vaguely aware of Liam stationing himself on the opposite side of the bed. Most of his attention was focused on Harry, and he reached out to touch Harry's hand. "Hey there, Haz. Liam and I are back. Niall and Zayn are here, too. They're just getting coffee."

"Hey, Hazza," Liam offered his own greeting.

Louis ran a finger up and down the back of Harry's hand in hopes the motion would get through whatever haze Harry was currently in. "You need to wake up, Harry. You're freaking us all out here." It was not entirely unexpected, but still completely disheartening to get no reaction from the boy in the bed.

Niall and Zayn arrived at that point, toting two cups each. Niall handed one to Louis, explaining that it was, "Tea, no milk, tiny bit of sugar. Gross." Zayn handed one of his off to Liam.

The boys awkwardly surrounded Harry on both sides, unsure of what to say to their wounded bandmate.

"We miss you, Harry," Niall told him. Just as Louis had done, he urged, "You need to wake up and let us know you're okay."

"He'll be fine," Zayn said with absolute surety. "Just like the doctor said, he's strong. He'll make it through." Unconsciously, he'd echoed Louis' pep talk with Gemma. Louis knew it was important that Harry had so many people on his side, believing wholeheartedly that he would recover.

The boys used their time with Harry to talk about nothing in particular, mostly recalling the memorable events they had been lucky enough to experience since being put together in a group by _The X-Factor_. Harry remained stubbornly passive for the entire conversation.

And so it went for the next two weeks. Louis, Zayn, Liam, and Niall and Anne, Des, Gemma and, Robin, came up with an unofficial rota which allowed two or three of them to be there with Harry at all times, talking to him, reading to him, and begging him to awaken.

Management was forced to give One Direction an indefinite break until Harry was better, for which Louis was grateful. He could not handle work on top of all this, especially not work where one of them was missing.

Louis generally got the morning shift, usually with Liam or Niall, and the day marking the two-week anniversary of the accident was no exception. Louis sat in a chair by the head of Harry's bed with the newspaper and a cup of tea, the sun streaming in through the windows on the opposite wall.

Niall had gone to find something to eat, leaving Louis alone with Harry.

Louis had taken to reading to Harry from the newspaper every day. Sometimes he read from the Sports section about the latest football game, sometimes from the Entertainment section about a movie just come out or some celebrity gossip, and sometimes he found a good human interest story to share. Harry liked those kinds of stories. Louis avoided the daily stories updating the public on Harry's status.

Niall still hadn't returned when he finished the story about the Man U game from the day before. Louis folded up the newspaper and sipped at his cooling tea. He put it to the side to grab Harry's hand.

He cleared his throat. "I miss you, Haz. I miss you so much. The house is so quiet without you there. I miss waking up in the morning to you making me breakfast. I miss our FIFA tournaments every night when we're home, me kicking your ass up and down the pitch.

"You're sure taking your sweet time coming back to us," Louis lamented, becoming serious again. With every day that passed with Harry not waking up, the more concerned he was that Harry wasn't ever going to wake up. Louis couldn't bear the thought.

As he sat there watching Harry, Louis felt a pang of regret, one he had felt several times since the accident. He wasn't clear exactly when it had happened, but somewhere along the way, he had begun to feel something for his best friend that was, well, more than friendly. He had never said anything, however, not wanting to rock the boat when the band was still in its infancy.

Besides, there had never been any indication from Harry that he felt the same, and Louis was loath to say something that might jeopardise the relationship he already had with Harry. They were, after all, best friends and roommates, and both of those things might change if Louis revealed his hand and Harry didn't want to play.

Now, though, Louis' chances might be blown forever.

"You need to come back from wherever you're hiding," Louis commanded in a firm voice. "We need you. All of us. Your mum and dad. Robin. Gemma. Liam, Niall, and Zayn. But most of all, me. I need you. I miss having my best mate around."

Like he did virtually every day, he squeezed Harry's hand to assure the younger boy that he was there. And every day, Harry's hand remained stubbornly limp. This time, though…. This time Harry squeezed back.

Louis' eyes widened, and he immediately shifted his gaze to Harry's face. "Harry? Haz?"

A soft moan told Louis Harry could hear him. Louis grinned from ear to ear and pressed the call button to summon a nurse or a doctor. Then he returned his attention to Harry. "Harry? Harry, come on, open those eyes."

It took a moment, but eventually, Harry's eyes slowly blinked open. He squeezed them shut again almost right away owing to the light, but it was only seconds before he tried again. His gaze darted around the room, taking in his surroundings, then he finally focused sleepy green eyes on Louis.

Louis smiled at him. "Hi there, Haz. Welcome back."

Harry opened his mouth to say something, but no words came to him. His brow instantly furrowed in frustration. When he tried once more, nothing happened, and Harry's eyes grew wide with panic.

Louis' smile slipped just a little as Harry struggled, but he recovered and wrapped a hand around Harry's upper arm. "It's okay, Harry. Just calm down. You've been out a long time."

At that moment, Dr. Nicholas and a nurse Louis knew was called Keira arrived. The nurse gently escorted Louis from the room so the doctor could examine Harry, promising that Louis could come back in when the exam was done.

Louis almost knocked Niall down as soon as he exited the room. Niall had to lift the cups of tea up high to keep the hot drinks from spilling all over the two of them.

"Everything okay?" Niall asked worriedly.

"He's awake," Louis revealed.

Niall appraised Louis carefully, clearly picking up on the fact that all was not well. "Is he okay?"

Louis shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. He seemed to know who I was, so that's good. But he couldn't talk when he tried to."

"Did you call the doctor?"

"He's in with him now." Louis pulled his mobile from his pocket. "I should call Anne."

Niall nodded as Louis sidled past him, already calling up Anne's number. As soon as Louis explained that Harry was awake, she told him Gemma was with her and they would call Des and be there as soon as they could. Robin was back up north that day, but Louis knew he would head back down to London when Anne called with the news.

Louis paced the floor right outside Harry's room while Niall called Liam and Zayn to tell them Harry was awake. Niall reported that Liam and Zayn were also on their way to the hospital.

Dr. Nicholas took his time examining Harry, and Anne, Gemma, Des, Liam, and Zayn were all there by the time the doctor exited Harry's room ready to give a diagnosis. They, along with Harry and Louis, formed a semi-circle around the doctor to listen.

"The good news is that Harry appears to be completely out of the coma, and his memory seems to be intact," Dr. Nicholas began.

"I sense a 'but' coming," Des said warily.

The doctor nodded. "The hit he took to the head has caused two issues he'll have to work through."

Anne clapped a hand over her mouth before the doctor could go on, and Gemma put an arm over her mother's shoulders and gestured for the doctor to continue.

"He has some weakness on his right side. He may have some trouble walking, and he'll need to work on the fine motor control in his right hand," Dr. Nicholas covered the first issue. "But with some hard work, I'd expect him to recover function almost completely in a few months."

"What's the second issue?" Louis asked, though he shuddered at the thought of what it could be. The first thing sounded bad enough.

"Harry is suffering what reads as expressive aphasia," the doctor explained. Louis was not the only one who shook his head, unfamiliar with the condition. Dr. Nicholas elaborated, "What that means is that he understands things that are being said to him, but has trouble saying the things he wants to."

Louis gasped. So that was what had been going on when Harry woke up.

"Will that improve?" Gemma wanted to know.

The doctor nodded. "He'll need to do some pretty intensive therapy, but I've seen patients recover one hundred percent from this kind of injury."

Anne hauled in a deep breath and pulled her hand away from her mouth. "Can we see him?"

"Yes, but don't overwhelm him. Just two of you at a time. Don't press him to talk. He can blink once for yes, twice for no until he's strong enough to start therapy. Okay?" Dr. Nicholas checked whether or not they were all on the same page.

They all murmured their agreement.

"Just have them page me if there are any problems. I'm going to order a few tests this afternoon just to solidify my diagnosis, but I'll give you all a little time to visit with him first," the doctor said kindly.

"Thank you," Anne told him before the doctor strode off to tend to his next patient.

The little group assembled easily decided that Anne and Des would go in first, then Gemma and Louis.

Zayn, Niall, and Liam talked Louis and Gemma into going to find some tea while they waited their turn with Harry. After two weeks on the floor, they had all learned to bypass the vending machines in the waiting room, and they headed straight for the hospital cafeteria. The tea and coffee there were a little more expensive, but it was worth it since it actually tasted good.

The five of them sat around a table quietly sipping at their teas and coffees. They shared no conversation at first, all of them still processing the information they'd gotten from the doctor.

After they'd been there a few minutes, though, Louis broke the silence permeating their little area of the café. "He'll be okay, right?"

"Of course he will," Liam assured him. "He's strong, and he's stubborn."

"And he has all of us," Niall added. "So many people to help."

"He's awake, yeah?" Zayn joined in the discussion. "We weren't sure that was going to happen, but it did. He's fighting this."

"He's good at just about everything he tries," Gemma pointed out. "He'll do well with this, too."

Louis nodded, feeling a little better than he had since hearing the doctor's scary diagnosis.

Gemma's phone buzzed with a text just then, and she checked it. "Mum says she and Dad are done. He's asking for you and me," she told Louis, texting her mum back as she relayed the message.

Louis wasted no time in rising from his seat to head back to Harry's room, Gemma right behind him and the others close behind.

When they got there, Anne and Des were just coming out. Anne reached out to squeeze Louis' forearm. "He's asking for you."

Louis nodded, waited for Gemma, then steeled himself before opening the door.

Harry locked gazes with Louis the moment Louis entered the room. His gaze didn't waver even as Gemma stationed herself on one side of the bed and Louis on the other.

When Louis got to the head of the bed, Harry whispered, "Lou." Then he finally tore his gaze from Louis to look to his sister. It was clearly a struggle, but he managed to get out, "Gem."

Gemma smiled wide at him. "Hi, Harry. It's good to see you. We missed you so much."

Harry opened his mouth to say something, but he only got as far as, "I…." He couldn't quite get the rest of what he wanted to say to come to him, and his brow furrowed with frustration almost instantly.

Gemma rested a hand on his forearm soothingly. "It's okay, H. You don't have to say anything."

"You just need to focus on getting better," Louis added.

Harry shifted his gaze back to Louis and tried again. "Want…I…." He became frustrated again, pursing his lips as his eyes pleaded with Louis to fix this.

"You're going to get better," Louis assured him. "It may take a little time, but you'll get there."

Harry offered a small nod of acknowledgment, then his eyes began to droop. It had certainly been a long morning. He forced them back open with clear effort, though, and turned to look at Gemma once more. He hauled in a deep breath and managed to ask, "You…here?" Harry swept his gaze to Louis, then, including him in the question.

Gemma told him, "We're all going to be here all the time, Harry. Promise."

Louis stated firmly, "We are going to be around so much you'll get sick of us, but you need to rest, okay?

Harry sucked in another breath. "Li…. Ni…. Zayn?" he questioned with agonizing slowness.

"They're all here, and they want to see you, too," Louis informed him.

Harry flicked his gaze to the door, then back to Louis. The message was clear. He wanted to see the other boys before resting.

Louis nodded. "Okay, but they can only stay for a couple minutes."

Harry nodded.

Gemma leaned over to kiss Harry's cheek. "I'll see you later, okay, H? Do what the doctors tell you."

Harry nodded once more.

"I'll see you later, too, Haz," Louis said. "I'll send the lads in."

Louis followed Gemma out the door, his hand on the small of her back for support.

Liam, Zayn, and Niall were right outside the door, waiting anxiously. Louis smiled in their direction. "He won't rest until he gets to see you guys. Go on in."

Liam didn't wait to be asked twice. He threw open the door and Niall and Zayn trailed him in.

Louis turned to Gemma, who was hugging Anne and crying softly. He heard Gemma say, "It's so unfair."

"It is," Louis couldn't help but agree. "But I think he'll be okay."

Gemma extricated herself from Anne's embrace and turned to look at Louis, her face hopeful, clearly wanting to believe him.

"He's strong," Louis posited. "And he has all of us. How can he not be okay? He has to be okay."

"Louis' right, baby," Anne concurred. "It may be a long road, but he'll make it. We'll see to it."

Gemma nodded, a small smile erasing her worry--for the time being.

Louis knew Anne was right, and he also knew that Harry's recovery would be neither quick nor easy. Today, though, that didn't matter. Harry was awake and alert, and as recently as six hours earlier, Louis had thought that might not happen. So he smiled back at Gemma.

"He'll be okay," Gemma said, as if convincing herself that her baby brother was going to be all right.

"He'll be okay," Louis repeated. If they said it enough, perhaps they could make it so.

* * *

Management announced to the public that One Direction was taking a sabbatical to give Harry time to recover from the car accident. They only gave the press the bare minimum regarding Harry's condition, only that he'd suffered some serious injuries which would take time to bounce back from.

A week after awakening from his coma, Harry was transferred to a rehabilitation centre where he had daily physical, occupational, and speech therapy. He was a hard worker, but he had a lot he had to work on. His right side had been weakened by the blow to the head, and he had to work on both walking and getting tasks done with his right hand. 

The aphasia was the most frustrating of his injuries. He often couldn't find the words he wanted, and if his speech had been slow before the accident, now it was closer to glacial, though he did get a little better every day.

Gemma and Des eventually had to go back to work, as Robin had, but Anne stayed in London, and between her and Harry's four bandmates, Harry was never without visitors. Louis tried to visit every day, hoping that having his best friend around would help Harry to get better faster.

Two months passed, and Harry's doctors started hinting that Harry might be released soon. Louis and Anne both happened to be there to discuss Harry's homecoming.

"You really think he's ready?" Anne asked Dr. Upton, the doctor who'd been put in charge of Harry's care since his arrival at rehab. Her tone was filled with a mix of hope and anxiety, which Louis could understand.

Dr. Upton nodded, smiling first at Harry where he sat on the bed, then at Louis, who sat in a chair on Harry's right, and finally at Anne, who sat in a chair on Harry's left.

"Then you'll have to recommend a good therapist up in Cheshire," Anne said. "I assume he'll need to keep up with everything even when he's released."

"Yes," the doctor agreed, nodding her head.

"No," Harry joined the conversation.

Anne and Louis simultaneously whipped their heads around to look at Harry.

"No, what?" Anne questioned him. "Baby, you have to continue therapy. You're making such great progress."

He was. It was slow-going some days, but he was in much better shape than he was when he'd first awoken from the coma, and all his therapists seemed confident he would make a full recovery with continued hard work.

"I…know," Harry told her.

"Then what?" Anne urged him to explain.

"Not…going…to…Cheshire," Harry declared as firmly as he could.

Anne furrowed her brow. "But, baby, where do you want to go?"

"House," Harry started, then shook his head, which they had all come to recognise meant he hadn't come up with the word he wanted. After a moment, he corrected himself, "Home. With…Louis." He turned to smile beatifically at his best friend.

Louis widened his eyes in surprise. "Really?"

Harry nodded.

"I don't know," Anne responded sceptically. "I'm not sure that's a great idea. Doctor?"

Dr. Upton shrugged. "I think wherever Harry would be most comfortable would be the best place for him."

"I want…to go…home, Mum," Harry insisted.

"He'll need lots of help, at least at first," the doctor warned, looking directly at Louis.

Louis nodded. "I'm happy to help however I can. I know the other lads will, too. And he'll still be able to come here for therapy, if he's at home."

Anne took a moment to think, and Louis could tell that Harry, like him, was worried she was going to play the Mum Card and insist Harry go back to Cheshire with her. But eventually, she said, "Okay, if you want to go home to your and Louis' flat, that sounds fine to me."

Harry beamed and reached out to her for a hug, which she gladly gave out.

"So," Louis turned to Dr. Upton, "when can I take Harry home?"

"I want you to spend some time with him in therapy just to get a feel for how he's doing, so I'm going to say two, maybe three, days? Sound good?" the doctor inquired.

"Works for me," Louis replied. He couldn't wait to get Harry home and one step closer to reclaiming their lives.

* * *

Harry insisted on going home alone with Louis--no Anne. Reluctantly, Anne bid the boys goodbye at the front of the rehabilitation centre, bundling them into a cab. Louis had taken all of the things Harry had accumulated while in rehab home the day before.

The cab dropped them right in the front of their building, and Louis walked at Harry's side, allowing Harry to set the pace and making himself available to help out if Harry needed him to. It was a slow trip, but they finally made it up and into their flat.

"Home sweet home!" Louis said as he closed and locked the door behind them.

A small smile overtook Harry's face as he gazed around the familiar space.

"Happy to be back?" Louis asked, though the question was probably unnecessary.

Harry nodded.

"I'm happy you're home, too. I really missed you. Hey, do you want something to drink?" Louis offered.

Harry nodded again, slowly making his way across the room toward the sofa.

"What do you want?" Louis was careful not to make any suggestions. Harry's speech therapist had told them at the very beginning that Harry needed to be pushed, forced to speak for himself, even when it was tempting to try to help him along.

Harry audibly swallowed, but then answered, "Tea…please."

"One cup of tea coming up."

Before long, they were both settled on the sofa with cups of steaming tea. Harry was using his left hand instead of his right to steady his cup, but Louis didn't have the heart to try to make him use his right hand. Not on his first day back.

Louis had found a football match on, and if he squinted, the months between the accident and that moment might never have happened. This was just like old times.

While they watched the match, Louis regarded Harry. He had not changed too much since the accident. His hair had grown back from where they had needed to shave it around where he'd hit his head, and it was long enough it was curly, curly, curly. He had lost a little weight being in the hospital and rehab, and he hadn't been heavy to begin with. Louis would have to try to get some meat back on his bones.

Harry's face, though, his face had changed. Before the accident, Harry had been one of the happiest people Louis knew, if not the happiest full stop. He loved what they were doing, the performing, the recording, the meeting fans, all of it. He was constantly smiling, showing off the dimples which rendered Louis just a little bit weak.

Now, though, Harry was sad most of the time. He was frustrated by the limitations his injuries had burdened him with, even if he was making steady progress getting out from under them. Louis couldn't blame him, but he still wanted to do whatever it took to make Harry happy again.

When the match was over, Harry's eyes were hooded, and Louis could tell he was exhausted.

"I think the lads are coming for dinner, but there's plenty of time for a nap. What do you say?" Louis asked.

Louis watched Harry war with himself for a moment, the expression on Harry's face changing from determination to resignation. Finally, Harry nodded. "A nap…would be…glad." He shook his head. "Good."

"Do you want to lay down here or in your room?"

Harry pointed up, indicating he wanted to nap on his own bed.

"Then, let's go." Louis rose and went to stand in front of Harry in case he required help. It took a moment, but Harry levered himself up and started toward the stairs. Louis walked just behind him, ready to help at a moment's notice.

They arrived at Harry's room with no mishaps, and Harry collapsed onto his bed with a huge sigh.

"Do you need anything?" Louis inquired as he pulled the blanket which lay across the bottom of the bed up and over his friend.

Harry shook his head, already closing his eyes.

"I'll be right downstairs if you need me," Louis went on.

Harry nodded slowly.

Louis watched Harry until his face relaxed, and his breathing evened out into sleep. He tiptoed from the room, then, and went back downstairs.

He returned to the couch, idly scrolling through the guide on the TV to find something to watch. He eventually settled on a rerun of _Top Gear_ , but soon found himself drifting off to sleep himself. It had been a long few months.

He was jolted awake by a loud crash. Louis flew off the couch, but had to discern where the noise had come from before moving. There was no more crashing, but he heard sobs coming from the kitchen, so he wasted no time heading in that direction.

When he got to the kitchen entry, he was met with a sight that broke his heart immediately.

There were shards of what used to be a red mug on the floor, but more concerning was that Harry sat on the floor, too, his knees bent, face in his lap, sobbing uncontrollably.

Louis ignored the broken mug and went instantly to slide down the counter to sit right at Harry's side, reaching out to touch Harry's knee to let him know he was there. "Hey, Haz. I'm right here."

Harry continued crying for a little while, but he allowed Louis to put his arm around his shoulders and pull him to his side. When he started to calm down a little, Harry lifted his head to rest it on Louis' chest. Louis adjusted his position so he could run his fingers through Harry's curls in what he hoped was a soothing manner.

Finally, Harry's sobbing subsided, and he began to pull in deep breaths in an attempt to compose himself.

When the only sound in the room was Harry's ragged breathing, Louis wondered aloud, "What happened?"

It took Harry a moment to respond. "I…wanted…to…get…some…tea. Mug…slip…slipped."

Louis squeezed Harry's shoulders. "It's okay, Hazza. Could happen to anyone. And look! You made it down the stairs without any help. That's awesome."

Harry barely even cracked a smile. "Louis?"

"What, love?"

"What's…going…to…happen…with…the…band?" It was evident to Louis that this was a question Harry had had whirling around in his brain for a while. He was, in fact, surprised the subject hadn't come up before.

"Nothing," Louis told him. "We'll stay on a break until you're ready to go back to work."

"What…if…I…can't?"

Louis shook his head. "You will. Not a question in my mind. The doctors are so impressed with how well you're doing."

"But…what…if…I…can't?" Harry persisted with the train of thought.

"I really don't think it'll come to that," Louis commented. "But if that were the case, One Direction would be done. We're not a band without you. So you have to keep working hard every day with your therapy so we don't have to disband. Lots and lots of fans to keep happy."

Harry nodded. "I'm…trying."

"I know," Louis assured him. "Everyone knows how hard you're working. You've made so much progress since waking up from the coma."

And he truly had. Harry had had to relearn how to walk to accommodate the weakness in his right leg, but all that remained of that was a slow gait with a slight limp that got better every week. He struggled with a right hand that was stubborn about gripping things properly, but that, too, was improving with each physical therapy session.

His speech therapist was amazing. She worked with him every day and had trained all of Harry's family and friends in how to best deal with Harry's aphasia. They were not to finish his sentences, and they were to give him as much time as he needed to get out thoughts. They were to encourage him to respond to queries with more than simple yeses and nos. Though it was difficult, and he still occasionally couldn't find the right words, most of the time he could express himself, if more slowly than even he used to. His therapist seemed certain that, eventually, he would have very few remnants of the aphasia left, if any.

As Louis pondered just how well Harry was doing, Harry inexplicably began to cry again.

Louis pulled Harry in tighter. "Shh. It's okay, Haz. You're okay."

When Harry's tears subsided once more, Louis ventured, "This is about more than just the band, isn’t it?"

So minutely Louis almost missed it, Harry nodded.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

Harry didn't answer straight away. Louis knew from the look on his face that he was trying to find just the right words to explain. Louis gave him time and finally, Harry cryptically said, "It's…too…late."

Louis was confused. "Too late for what?"

Harry hauled in a deep breath before saying, "You."

Louis gently pried Harry off his shoulder and twisted himself and Harry so he could take Harry's biceps in his hands and look right into his eyes. "Me?"

Harry nodded. "It's…too…late…to…have…you."

Louis was still perplexed. "But you have me. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

Obviously frustrated that Louis wasn't getting it, Harry shook his head. "Wanted…more."

More? Louis was about to ask more what when it hit him like a tonne of bricks. As carefully as he could, he asked, "Do you mean you wanted to be more than friends?"

Shyly, Harry nodded. "Too…late."

"Why would you think it's too late?" Louis wondered aloud, even as his heart jackhammered at the thought that Harry might just feel about him the way he felt about Harry.

Harry shot him an incredulous look, as if he couldn't believe he even had to explain. He simply lifted his right hand and pointed to his mouth.

"You think I wouldn't want you because of your injuries?" Louis confirmed, equally as incredulous.

Harry shrugged and hung his head.

Louis dropped his hands from Harry's arms so he could use an index finger to lift Harry's chin to force Harry to look at him.

With a smile he couldn't contain, Louis told him, "I would love nothing more than to be more than friends with you."

It was Harry's turn to be confused. His brow furrowed as he regarded Louis with scepticism.

"I thought I had lost my chance after the accident happened."

"But…." Harry began to protest, stopping when Louis put a finger to his lips.

"But nothing," Louis whispered before leaning forward to place his mouth on Harry's.

The kiss started off sweet and soft, but the longer Louis kept at it, the more pliant Harry became, and the kiss quickly turned more passionate, more hungry. Louis brought a hand to the back of Harry's head and ran fingers through his curls while Louis' tongue demanded entrance to Harry's mouth. When it was allowed inside, Louis was able to fully explore, and Harry appeared eager to do the same.

When they were forced to part in order to breathe, Harry gazed at Louis with a serious look on his face. "It…doesn't…matter?"

Louis shook his head decisively. "I couldn't care less. If you had come out of the accident unable to walk or unable to talk at all, it still wouldn't have mattered. I would still be head over heels in love with you."

A huge grin broke out on Harry's face, unlike any Louis had seen since the day they'd left on their ill-fated mini-break. The dimples in Harry's cheeks were deep and long, and Louis' breath caught when he realised just how much he'd missed Harry's smile.

"I…love…you…too," Harry shared.

"Thank God," Louis responded, matching Harry's grin. "Now, come on, get up. We have a lot of lost time to make up for." He stood and held his hand out to Harry.

When Harry took it, Louis decided he was never going to let go.

* * *

_Six Months Later…_

It was cold backstage, but with all the boys arm-to-arm in a pre-show huddle, they barely even noticed.

"Ready to go?" Liam asked.

"Born ready," Niall returned.

"Good to go," Zayn put in.

"Ready to rock," Louis said. Turning to the curly-headed boy to his right, he went on, "Haz?"

Harry grinned widely. "Can't wait to get out there."

Louis couldn't resist turning his head to peck Harry on the cheek. It was so unbelievable for them to be where they were--backstage at the O2 Arena. It was Harry's comeback concert, and the first stop of their new tour.

It had been hard, nine months earlier, to envision that this might once again be possible. Not when Harry had been lying unconscious in a hospital bed, nor even when he'd woken up, given the injuries he'd sustained in the accident.

Yet, against the odds, here they were.

Harry would have said he was about ninety-five percent better. He still had a slight limp, and his right hand didn't always hold on to things the way he wanted them to. The aphasia, though, that was completely gone, and his singing hadn't suffered one iota.

"I love you," Louis whispered in Harry's ear, though the snickers he heard throughout their little circle told him it wasn't a secret.

Harry shot Louis a smile intended only for him, happily ignoring their rowdy bandmates. "I love you, too."

"You made it," Louis pointed out rather needlessly.

"I did," Harry concluded just as needlessly. "Just like you promised." He pressed his lips to Louis', eliciting catcalls from Liam, Niall, and Zayn this time.

"If you lads are done sucking face, we have a show to do," Niall commented with a grin.

Harry lifted his lips from Louis' and gazed around at the others. "Right. Show. Now."

Liam put his hand out, and it was quickly covered by Zayn's, Niall's, Harry's, and, finally, Louis'. "Heigh ho, heigh ho," he began.

"It's off to work we go," the rest of the boys helped him finish.

When they broke from the huddle, Louis immediately took Harry's hand in his. He waited for Liam to lead the way onto the stage. Zayn and Niall followed, then Louis pulled Harry with him.

Louis was beyond happy. Despite many terrible moments following the horror that was the car accident, he still had his job. Even better, though, he had Harry, who owned him body and soul, and always would.

He took to the stage, Harry by his side, and the crowd went crazy, enveloping all of them in their love and support. This was where he belonged. He could not ask for more.

End (21 June 2014)


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